(1) Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a dubbing tape recorder of a lower manufacturing cost, and more specifically to a dubbing tape recorder having first and second tape drive units of substantially the same structure and dimensions. The term "substantially" as used herein means that although two identical tape drive units may be used as the first and second tape drive units, certain parts may be removed from either one of the identical tape drive units if such parts are unnecessary for the dubbing tape recorder.
(2) Description of the Prior Art
A tape recorder is generally manufactured in such an order that its wiring work is performed after assembling its mechanical part.
In the assembly of the mechanical part, various parts are mounted on both front and rear sides of a chassis. In the wiring work, switches and other electrical circuit components are mounted and then wired by soldering. Since such switches and other electrical components are mounted after the assembly of the mechanical part, it is advantageous to arrange them at an end portion of the chassis rather than a central portion of the same in order to facilitate their wiring work.
A dubbing tape recorder which is suitable for use in conducting dubbing, continuous recording (or playback) or the like has such a structure that two tape drive units are arranged side by side as unitary subassemblies. For tape recorders of this sort, it is desirable from the viewpoint of any one of designing, parts management, mechanism assembly work and operability to use substantially the same structure and dimensions for the first and second tape drive units where permissible. Use of substantially the same structure and dimensions can also facilitates the reduction of the manufacturing cost.
When the mechanical parts of both tape drive units are designed identically, the arrangement of switches and other electrical circuit components becomes the same. If switches are arranged for example at right end portions of the respective tape drive units, the switch of the left tape drive unit assumes a position substantially at a central part of the entire tape recorder. This structure cannot therefore facilitate the subsequent wiring work.